FUFA, FIFA to stage women’s football festivals in Northern Uganda

FIFA and the Federation of Uganda Football Associations will take their women’s football campaign to Northern Uganda from 3 to 5 September 2026, with activities planned in Lira and Gulu cities. The programme is part of the Women’s Football Development Programme launched in Uganda in West Nile in 2023.

The three-day schedule will begin in Lira City on 3 September with a workshop for coaches. A women’s football festival will follow in Lira on 4 September, before the campaign moves to Gulu City for its final activities on 5 September.

The Northern Uganda programme will use small-sided matches to involve girls aged between eight and 14. The games will be organised across the 8-10, 11-12 and 13-14 age groups, giving young players an opportunity to take part in structured football activities.

The programme will also feature skills challenges and recreational football. Sessions on safeguarding, gender equality and career opportunities in women’s football will form part of the wider activities, linking participation on the pitch with information about the game and the environment around it.

Its objectives include increasing the number of girls playing football in the region, raising the profile of the women’s game and creating a lasting pathway for player development. Talent identification and engagement with local communities will also be central to the campaign.

The initiative follows women’s football festivals previously held in West Nile in 2023 and Bukedea in 2024 under the same development programme. Team registration for the Northern Uganda edition is free, with Daniel Ekaju, the general secretary of the Northern Region Football Association, serving as the registration contact.